In a post on Twitter, the well-known journalist and tennis insider Ben Rothenberg said it will be interesting to observe the welcome that the Australian crowd will give to Novak Djokovic. Rothenberg wrote: “Most people in Australia agreed with the decision to expel Djokovic earlier this year.
Melbourne residents, in particular, did not like the vaccine exemption that was granted to Novak. The Australians have had to endure a very hard and very long lockdown. I don’t know how it will be welcomed in Melbourne next year.”
In a recent interview, Djokovic admitted that the Australian soap opera proved him a lot: “What happened at the beginning of the year drained me mentally and also affected my performance on the pitch. Towards the end of the season on clay, I realized.
that my tennis was coming back and things went much better in the second half of the season. Winning the Wimbledon tournament was a real breath of fresh air for me, I really needed it. I am motivated for next season.”
Novak will play the Australian Open 2023
Novak Djokovic has experienced a rather troubled 2022 due to his choice not to get vaccinated against the Coronavirus.
The Serbian phenomenon was unable to participate in either the Australian Open or the US Open, seeing his eternal rival Rafael Nadal run away in the all-time Grand Slam standings. The former world number 1 also had to give up all the American Masters 1000, in addition to having suffered serious damage to his image.
The 35-year-old from Belgrade redeemed himself on the grass of Wimbledon, where he took his seventh title equaling the legendary Pete Sampras. Nole thus hoisted himself at 21 Slams, just one length away from Nadal. Djokovic also won the Masters 1000 in Rome, the ATP 250 in Tel Aviv and the ATP 500 in Astana.
On Tuesday 15 November, news arrived that the Australian government will revoke Djokovic’s three-year ban, allowing him to compete in the 2023 edition of the Australian Open. A real breath of fresh air for Novak.
